It's in the Water, Baby
by BrookenLucas12
Summary: “Well,” He said after a moment. “Aren’t you going to ask where I’m from?” Sawyer meets someone on the island he never knew existed. One shot, O.C. Crossover, SawyerMarissa.


**Author's Note: **This is my first ever crossover story, and only my second story that's not about One Tree Hill, and I loved writing every minute of it. I'll admit, it was a struggle, but I did enjoy the process, just because it was so different from anything I've written before. I hope everyone enjoys, and please leave feedback. Good or bad.

**Spoilers**: Up to the last episode of season three of The O.C., except Marissa didn't die. Up to mid-season two, but nothing too major.

**What you should know**: Marissa was also on flight 815, and crashed along with the others.

**Disclaimer: **I obviously don't own either The O.C. or Lost, and the song at the beginning of the story is called "Post Blue" by Placebo.

**Dedication**: I have to dedicate this story to Marit, who made the wonderful banner for the story in **such** short notice. Marit, I love you and thank you very much. I hope you like the story.

**Pairing**: Marissa Cooper // James "Sawyer" Ford.

**Summary: ** "Well," He said after a moment. "Aren't you going to ask where I'm from?" Sawyer meets someone on the island he never knew existed. (O.C. crossover, Sawyer/Marissa)

-

**It's in the Water, Baby**

_It's in the water baby, it's in the pills that bring you down  
It's in the water baby, it's in your bag of golden brown  
It's in the water baby, it's in your frequency  
It's in the water baby, it's between you and me_

_It's in the water baby, it's in the pills that pick you up  
It's in the water baby, it's in the special way we fuck  
It's in the water baby, it's in your family tree  
It's in the water baby, it's between you and me _

_Bite the hand that feeds_

His eyes landed on the obviously young woman as she stared out in to the ocean, her eyes cloudy and filled with emotion. He cocked his head to the side, allowing his eyes to illicitly travel over her slim body.

"Sawyer. Sawyer," He turned to his left, towards where the pretty brunette stood.

"Well, well, Freckles," He grinned. "I knew you'd want it eventually. What's wrong? Doc not payin' enough attention to you?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "You're so ridiculous. Is that all you think of?"

"I _am_ only a man."

She shook her head and smiled. "Like that's an excuse."

"Oh, you'd be surprised at how much bein' here can make a man appreciate sex."

"Yeah," She mumbled. "A woman too."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. What are you doing?" She walked towards him.

He turned back towards the front of his tent, where in the distance still sat the beautiful, sad girl. "Who's that?"

She followed his gaze with her own. "Marissa?"

"Is that her name?"

-

He found himself liking the fact that she didn't acknowledge him as he sat down beside her. Her eyes remained staring straight forward, and her body never moved. Her bare legs were shaven and nice, one tucked underneath her and her body hugging the other.

"You don't say much, do you?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I didn't even know you were on this island until yesterday."

"Well, I'm not on this place to make friends."

"Yeah, but you might as well as long as you're here."

She turned to look at him, her blue eyes meeting his own.

"I'll pass."

-

With every day that passed, he'd sit himself down beside her, watching her watch the ocean. She never moved, hardly ate, and socialized rarely with the others.

He could tell it annoyed her that he sat beside her, but he didn't care much. After all, he _was_ Sawyer.

The breeze blew her long, sun-kissed hair around her face.

"Who are you?" They hadn't spoken since that first day, and even then, she had not initiated the conversation, only hastily finished it.

He grinned. "Whoever you want me to be."

Marissa's eyes squeezed shut, and she quickly opened them. "Don't ever say that again."

Sawyer chuckled. "Relax, Princess. It's a joke."

"Well, it's not funny." She stood, walking away.

-

"So, Ms. Anti-Social, how's your day goin' so far?" He plopped himself down beside her, opening up Atlas Shrugged, the latest book he'd found among the wreckage, and proceeding to read. He didn't expect her to reply; she never did.

Today, as he said this, she laughed. It was quiet, but it had happened. He was sure he was hallucinating.

"Did you just laugh?"

She ignored him. "When I was in high school, I was the Social Chair. You know, the person that plans events and stuff? It's funny how things can change."

"Social chair, eh? So you were one of those preppy, happy-go-lucky cheerleader type people?" It was an excuse to get to know her better, and he didn't even try to disguise it. She was making him damn curious.

The faint traces of a mischievous smile spread across her face. It was beautiful. Radiant, even. "Not even close."

"Where are you from?"

She looked at him. "Orange County."

"Well," He said after a moment. "Aren't you going to ask where I'm from?"

"No."

"I'm from Tennessee. Thank you for asking."

-

He bit his lip. Had he really sunk this low?

"Hurley! Hurley!"

The soft man turned around, his surprised gaze landing on Sawyer's. "Dude, did you just call me Hurley?"

"Well, it's your name, ain't it?" Sawyer shrugged.

"Not according to you."

"Look, as much as I'd like to talk about you, I actually had a question."

Hurley frowned. It was unlike Sawyer to be civil. "Uh, yeah?"

"You know," Sawyer hesitated. He looked down. "Marissa?"

The large man cocked an eyebrow. "You mean, tall, skinny, gorgeous, blonde, Marissa?"

"No. I meant one of the other Marissa's on this island of less than fifty people!" He snapped.

There was the Sawyer everyone knew and hated. Hurley smiled. "Why? Are you crushing on her?"

"No. She's just so damn quiet sometimes, you have to wonder!"

"Well, what about her?" Hurley shrugged.

"Well, for some reason, everyone loves you. So I was thinkin' maybe you'd know stuff about her. Maybe you two were friends are somethin'.."

"Dude, sorry. I don't know anything about her, really. She like, doesn't talk at all."

"Well, you've been helpful." Sawyer deadpanned, beginning to walk away.

He turned around once more. "Don't even think about telling anyone about this conversation."

Hurley grinned. "Don't worry, Dude. Secret's safe with me."

"I don't like her, damnit!"

"Whatever you say, man."

-

When he took his spot beside her this time, she turned to look at him. Her eyes were sad and broken, and he couldn't help but wonder why.

"What are you doing?"

"I wasn't aware this beach was private property." Sawyer smiled.

"I mean, what do you want with me? For all you know, I could be a crazy person that's tried to kill herself and becomes obsessed with people in an instant, or I could be a bad person that takes advantage of people who don't know who they are, and just want someone to understand them!" Tears filled her eyes, and she swallowed. "You don't know what kind of person I am, or what I've done, or what's been done to me. You could be the idiot that falls for everything that anyone tells them to, because you just want to believe the best of everyone."

Tears now freely rolled down her cheeks, and her eyes burned into his with a fire he found unfamiliar. She sobbed, bringing her hand to her mouth. He steadied her, placing his hands on her shoulders. His fingers wrapped around her thin shoulders, holding them tightly.

"I'm not any of those people."

She shook her head. "You remind me of someone I used to know."

"And why is that so bad?"

"Because he's the reason I'm in this place." Her voice faltered, and she pulled away from him, drawing her knees into her chest, and allowing her head to rest on them.

Sawyer frowned, looking away from her. It was almost funny how everyone was reminded of the worst when they saw him. "What'd he do?"

"Doesn't matter."

"What'd he do?" He said it fiercely.

Marissa shrugged. "He made me feel unworthy of my friends and family. Like he was the best I could do," She turned to look at Sawyer. "He was wrong."

Sawyer clenched his jaw. "And what is it about me exactly, that reminds you of him?"

"Are you _not_ trying to seduce me?" Her words were cold, laced with malice, and it hurt, but she was right.

"I'm not a pig."

"Really? I've heard differently."

"Excuse me?" What gave her the right to think she could talk to him this way? Maybe she was hurting, but he'd done nothing except try to talk to her!

"You think I haven't heard people talking? Kate? _Ana-Lucia._" The way she said the second name made his heart skip a beat. Did she know?

"What are you talking about?"

She smiled bitterly. "You **know** what I'm talking about."

Marissa stood and walked away, and Sawyer clenched his fists, looking towards the ocean.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed aloud.

-

Days passed.

He wanted to talk to her. Really, he did. It was just that she was so damn stubborn. He nearly- He calmed himself, watching her watch the ocean, in a situation so similar to when he'd first seen her.

Sawyer made his way towards her, seating himself down. "I don't believe we finished our conversation."

"I believe we did."

He shook his head. "You know, things wouldn't be so bad if you interacted with them."

"You don't interact with them, and you seem to be doing just fine." Marissa challenged.

"Yeah, but," He squinted. "They'd like you."

She shrugged. "I don't care."

"Is that really it? Why do you sit here by yourself, anyway? If you really want to be left alone, why don't you go hide in the jungle or somethin'?"

She was silent for a few moments.

"Sometimes," She told him, "when I close my eyes and just breathe in, I can make myself believe I'm there again. At home. It's the only comforting thing about being stranded on an island."

"That would be the least comforting thing to me."

Marissa laughed lightly. "Normally I'd say the same thing."

"But?"

"Anywhere's better than here."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

His eyes widened. "A little younger than I expected, but hell, the island don't care."

She almost smiled. She was practically immune to his charms, it seemed.

"I was going to re-invent my life. My dad offered me a job on his ship. A year on a ship in Greece instead of Berkeley, and I took it. I told my mom I loved her, which was a big step for me. I promised my best friend, Summer that I'd write. And I let Ryan drive me to the airport, and I hugged him good-bye. And I looked into his eyes and I saw that he wanted me to stay, but I just had to leave. When I got to Greece, I realized that it wasn't Greece that would change me. It was myself. So I decided I'd go home and tell him that I loved him and that I would never let him go, and that I was sorry about Johnny and Trey and Oliver and Volchok, but I would do it all over again if it meant I'd feel like I did. Flew to Australia, and then expected to fly to L.A., and ended up here somehow. And Ryan's going to go on with his life, and he'll never know that I'm still here missing him, wanting him. Loving him."

Sawyer swallowed. That was a lot to take in. He had no idea who Johnny or Trey or Oliver or Volchok was, but the way she said their names echoed pain. Obviously she and Ryan had a thing. What, he didn't know. He wanted to ask her which one of them he reminded her of, but didn't dare.

"I," She shook her head. "I don't know. I just wish that I hadn't been so bad. I mean, I wish that I hadn't trusted everyone. I just - I couldn't bring myself not to."

"Trust me, Princess. That don't make you a bad person."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she sniffled. "Try telling that to everyone I ever hurt."

"I would, but my list is so long, I don't think I'll ever get there."

She looked over at him, and he smiled sadly. "I haven't been the best person."

"Me either."

-

She was laying in her tent, eyes staring straight up at the ceiling, hands resting casually on her stomach.

Sawyer leaned against the front of her tent, looking at her.

Marissa's eyes flickered over to him and she blinked. "Are you at least going to come lay down with me?"

He looked around the semi-dark campsite. Fires were lit, and many lingered around outside eating and laughing together. The sound of the waves hitting the beach were soothing and romantic even though it was far from their purpose. A light wind rustled the trees and his hair, and he looked over at the young, beautiful girl.

"Sure. I'll come lay with ya."

He rested his head besides hers, so that they were so close he could hear her slow, deep breaths.

"Sawyer.."

"Yeah?"

"I - I'm sorry."

"For what, Princess?"

"You don't remind me of anyone I used to know. Not at all."

He smiled. "I suppose I'll take that as a compliment."

"I don't think I can trust you."

"I don't blame you."

She reached her hand slowly for his, interlacing her soft, small fingers into his large, rough ones.

"Everything's going to be okay, right?"

"I really don't know."

She smiled. "That's all I needed to hear."


End file.
